By ROBIN SHANNON

Staff Reporter

LAPLACE – Authorities in St. John apprehended a Garyville man for intent to distribute various narcotics after a routine traffic stop in the LaPlace area.

Maj. Mike Tregre, public information officer for the St. John Sheriff’s Office, said Lester Gardner, 26, 119 Historic West St., Garyville, was booked into the Sherman Walker Correctional Facility on charges of possession of marijuana and MDMA with the intent to distribute. He said Gardner was recently released after posting bond.

According to a report on the incident, deputies were dispatched to the 900 block of Whitlow Court in LaPlace after calls concerning a black male possibly selling drugs from a black Jeep Cherokee.

The vehicle was pulled over in the 1000 block of the street and the driver exited the vehicle and identified himself. The arresting deputy asked Gardner if there were any illegal narcotics in the Jeep and Gardner replied affirmatively. The deputy received verbal consent to search the vehicle where he found nine clear plastic bags of marijuana, 48.1 grams total. There was also a 10th bag containing about 73 pills varying in color. The report said the drugs were in plain view, sitting in the open center console of the Jeep.

Tregre said a check of the suspect’s criminal record detected an outstanding warrant for his arrest for contempt of court in St. John Parish regarding charges of aggravated flight from a police officer. Gardner was then handcuffed and taken into custody.